See Brooke’s Newest Works!

View Recent Inspiring Posts!

The Promoting Passion Tour

Tuesday, July 2, 2019

I started Promoting Passion years ago. It was a way of
bringing together two seemingly opposed words: promoting, and passion. What if,
I thought, we could learn to share our passion confidently, and in doing so
inspire others to be confident in their passion? How could that change the
world?

I started a blog.

And then a convention.

And now a tour.

Because education, inspiration, and community should be
accessible. Because without a family of creative weirdos, we too often feel
alone. Because why the hell not.

Six weeks ago I set out on the Promoting Passion tour. This
tour allowed us to come together as a family of 800. With sponsorship from Sony
and Sony Alpha Female, I was able to bring accessible education and inspiration
around the world.

I visited: London, Seattle, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta,
Chicago, New York City, Toronto, Vancouver, and Melbourne. Without Sony
believing in the message of Promoting Passion, I could not have made this tour
possible, and certainly not at the price point I was able to. They went all in
to support us.

I just got home from spending 5 weeks on the road. It was a grueling schedule. Travel – event – travel – event – repeat. I would have broken under the pressure of it if not for my best and most trusted friend, KD. She was there every step of the way to support, encourage, and lift us all up. When the curtains closed, she cleaned every event space, made sure I had food to eat at the end of a 12 hour event day, carried bags and boxes, and truly cared about all of our well-being. If you have one goal in this life, it should be to find a friend that comes close to her. It is rare, and she is precious.

The theme of the tour was legacy. How do you cultivate a
legacy with all the noise around us? What steps can we take to roadmap our way
to being legends?

I laid it out as best as I could: my own personal path to
legacy, and an open invitation for others to join me. It was beautiful. There
were so many tears and so many laughs. Thousands of hugs. New friends and old.
Paths forged before my eyes. Artists blooming everywhere I looked.

Not all of us get to understand the impact we can have on
others in our lifetime. But I witnessed on this tour, without a doubt, that we
are all making a dent. That we are all touching someone. That we have the
ability to exceed our most narrow limitations and to soar above our potential.

But only – ONLY – if you respond to the call. If you respond
to your ability to make change.

Response – ability. Take it or leave it. That is the choice
we are all given.

Each group was so different. The energies different, the hugs, the talks, the essence of each tour stop. But one thing remained. We are all artists, and we have something to say. With resilience and pride I watched people find their legacy, watched them say it out loud for the first time, or embody it truly.

My legacy is to inspire creativity in others. Or at least,
that’s what it is right now. This tour made me feel like I’m getting closer to
that legacy. And it made me want to reach higher, gain more, and give more.

I am so very thankful for everyone who joined me on tour. To
everyone who gave me a hug, gave me a knowing look, let me know we are
connected, let me know I am not alone in my fears. To everyone – you are my
creative family, and with each other we raise the tide for everyone.

I will leave you with a quote that I shared in my lecture on
tour, one that I hope you are taking to heart right now, and one that inspires
me to keep chasing my legacy:

“If I accept you as you are, I will make you worse; however, if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I help you become that.”– Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

If you came on tour with me, I’d love to hear your takeaways. And if I didn’t get to see you this time, then next time, it’s for you.

SarahJ -Brooke, dearest Brooke! I am so happy I was able to attend in NYC and see so many creatives I’ve met before and also meet some new ones. Thank you for all that you do for this community, you are truly a blessing of an artist. I have recently decided to forge down the path of fine art and do it my way no matter what others think of it. It’s an often dark and scary road but there’s something I have learned from you and others in the industry like you, I am not alone. I know I have others to help me learn, grow and share my fears with and that is a beautiful thing. So thank you for giving of your time and your energy to help people like me realize our dreams, our legacy. <3 SJRVReplyCancel

July 2, 2019 - 8:11 am

Sue-Brooke has this way of empowering others without sense of judgment. This coupled with a group of creative minds in one room given the freedom to be as weird and wonderful as they wanted and create with their own unique intent was something truly special. I’ve always had similar ideals and goals and it was freeing to be invited to be a part of something bigger than myself all while contributing as only I can. We all have something to offer this world and sometimes it takes someone believing in you to replenish that spirit within us. Thank you Brooke. The “burden” I left behind has already bloomed within days of letting it go. Just amazing. Thanks for always being a guiding light.ReplyCancel

July 2, 2019 - 11:13 am

Alicia Robichaud-This tour was for me an event I will NEVER ever forget. I felt a huge personal growth and know that I have left with a few more people in my corner of friends. I attended the Toronto Location and while it was difficult for me to make it there the cost of the conference made it so much easier to have to pay for the hotel and airfare. I felt so blessed to be in the presence of so much creative force. Both in Brooke, Danielle De Silva and all of the other attendees. I also feel like I left a part of myself behind when I left. A part that no longer served me, a burden I have been carrying for far too long. I have now started working on my very 1st self portrait project. I don’t exactly have my legacy put into words yet but one thing I learned is that I need to take the time to really know myself deeply and authentically. It is okay to be lost and it is okay for that to be difficult but in the end I will come out the other side, having found the light that was in there all along. Thank you Brooke for inspiring me not just on this tour but always. You’re energy, kindness and light shine through always and it was amazing to finally meet you in person.ReplyCancel

July 2, 2019 - 12:16 pm

Gallagher Green-That is such a great quote! I will try to remember it for sure.
As you said, you have created a blog, a convention, and now a tour. I think the next step is an art college! LOL

The way Sony has worked with you has really won them my business because they are what I love in a company.

I have seen so many of my good friends from all over in these photos, it is so wonderful! Wish I would have been there, but the stars just didn’t aline. I will be at the next thing for sure!

P.S.
KD is so incredible, there really needs to be a festival planned to honor her! ReplyCancel

July 2, 2019 - 1:18 pm

Susan Bertram-Hi Brooke! It was so great to see you and KD again. I’m so glad you were able to come to Atlanta. And I’m glad you have such a supportive friend in KD. My only regret is that I didn’t talk more people into coming with me. It was such an inspiring and motivating day – your talk would have been perfect for anyone! But it was a great shot in the arm for me. I was missing the community since leaving PPC in October. The day lifted my spirits and reminded me to keep going, no matter the fears, doubts, etc. of which I seem so plagued. And I had a wonderful coffee date with Gary and Vivian a couple of weeks ago! So glad to have connected with them. You have such a kind, open heart, and loving spirit. I’m sure you’ll inspire people for a very long time to come. I definitely got to take home a piece of the treasure. Thank you, Brooke and KD!! xoxoReplyCancel

July 2, 2019 - 6:11 pm

julie powell-Hi Brooke,
after so many years of being able to meet you, talk with you was wonderful, the whole day was wonderful and I got to share it with so many artistic friends. It has reignited my passion and help me to re-evaluate my goals and objectives. Thank you so much, I now know what I want my legacy to be and I have already started on that journey. Thank you. A big thanks to Joel and KD as well. With light and inspiration – JulieReplyCancel

July 3, 2019 - 4:41 pm

Jess Breisnes -For me, purchasing a ticket to the tour, on a whirlwind impulse the last day of early bird prices, was an investment in myself. Monetarily, yes, as I have few excess funds, but more so in focus and intention. Putting myself first has never come easily to me. I would much rather obsess over those I hold close to my heart. It was a promise to myself to keep growing creatively and part of my quest to reclaim my life from the growing force of anxiety.
I made an attempt to keep my expectations low and my mind open, having no idea what to expect and having never attended anything like this. Brooke put me at ease with a hug at the door. Every word out of her mouth was utterly fascinating and the intimate, small nature of the Vancouver event made it seem like a room of friends catching up. However I found my frustration grow as I tried to embrace thoughts of legacy.
The word grated against my ears. It seemed all wrong for how I see myself and the work I create. This discord with the general theme initially had me feeling like a fish out of water. An imposter in a room full of true artists. The feeling stuck with me and bloomed in my thoughts. Burning away on the back burner. Trying to assess my discomfort with the idea of legacy.
Fast forward a week and every single thing in my life has changed. Legacy as a concept crystallized abruptly in my mind on Monday night as tragedy struck my life with unanticipated force. My Mum passed away suddenly at age 64. We were as close as two people can be in one life without sharing a bed. Although we did that too, back when I was a little girl completely dependent on my kick-ass single mother.

I find it hard to visualize my life without her. But of one thing I have become certain. My legacy. To take the ugliest parts of my life and create beautiful things with them. I couldn’t put it into words the day of the Vancouver event, but that experience was an essential catalyst and prepared me in unexplainable ways to channel my grief into something constructive.

Timing is such a weird, wonderful, occasionally horrible thing. Thank you, Brooke, more than I can ever say, for helping me look deeper into my creative life and prepare myself for the wild unknown of the future.ReplyCancel

July 4, 2019 - 6:52 am

Anne-Laure -Dearest Brooke,

I will never be grateful enough for this. Your way of being and creativity are truly an inspiration. While I love your photos I knew I was coming to feel and soak up your energy. I arrived with a lot of anxiety and sadness and while those can hardly go away spontaneously I left so inspired and hopeful. Thank you for everything. I will soon start your online course on compositing and I hope you will reopen your online session someday. Take a good care of yourself and always stay yourself! Anne-Laure (Melbourne)ReplyCancel

July 18, 2019 - 3:39 pm

Suzanne Barber -I have a whole journal of ideas and quotes and inspiration from the Dallas session. It was like a year of therapy concentrated into a single day. My biggest takeaway was probably to actually do something-even if it’s scary-even if I fail-even if it’s embarrassing. The biggest gift I received was your vulnerability. I have started re-framing my perceptions and fears. I entered an art show, and reminded myself that it was a positive step regardless of the outcome. When the fear showed up, I was able to think “this will at least make for a funny story of how I started out.” But I actually won second place in photography (even though I had not thought before that my composites counted as photography!) And when I had to hide out in the bathroom from the emotional hangover of getting the award in front of all those people, I was able to remind myself that it didn’t make me a fraud. I saw in our session that lots of others feel the same way sometimes. I have been so inspired and encouraged by your tour. It was an unexpected but welcome turning point in my life!ReplyCancel